Thick & Creamy Coconut Rice Pudding

I have a delectable use for leftover Chinese rice with this Coconut Cream Rice Pudding recipe. Adding coconut milk to this old-fashioned classic only made it better. It’s a cinch to make and doesn’t need a lot of attention. You can get it started as you cook dinner and have a heartwarming dessert ready by time you finish eating.

I used a basic rice pudding recipe from Tyler Florence swapping out some of the milk with coconut milk and sprinkling some toasted coconut flakes over top for taste and texture. Cooked rice is simmered along with a mixture of coconut and regular milk, sugar, vanilla extract, golden raisins and a little bit of butter. Cinnamon and grated lime peel are added at the end for additional flavor. You can serve it warm or chilled.

The epitome of comfort food when it comes to dessert…Rich. Creamy. Soothing. What are you waiting for?

1. Combine cooked rice, milk, sugar and butter in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add raisins and vanilla. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes. It should still be soupy. Remove from heat.

2. Meanwhile toast coconut flakes in a dry skillet over medium low heat just until edges start to turn golden. Remove from heat.

4. Mix lemon zest and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon into rice mixture.

3. Spoon pudding into a serving dish and dust with remaining cinnamon and toasted coconut. Serve warm or chilled.

*This is a thick pudding – if you like it creamier cut down on the rice by a half or a third.